Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	holy_a	word_n	write_n	2,671	5	9.0809	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B08892	A sermon preach'd at the election of the Governour, at Boston in New-England, May 19th 1669. by John Davenport.	Davenport, John, 1597-1670.	1670 (1670)	Wing D367A; ESTC W26450	12,827	18

power over the Churches in such things to whom Christ never gave such puwer you will have a sad reckoning Remember Jeptah's Argument against the encroachments of the Amonites upon the Rights of Israel Judg. 11.14 3. Avoid carefully imposing upon the Churches any thing that Christ hath not put upon them viz. 1. Mens Opinions especially when they are such as prevailed in an hour of Temptation though consented to by the major part of a Topical Synod yet disliked by some of themselves and by other godly Ministers both in this Countrey and in other Countries so that they are things Controverted and under Dispute Impose not such things upon Churches lest Contentions arise in the Churches about Opinions which are no part of the Faith once given to the Saints for which we are called to contend earnestly Jude 3. 2. A standing Council for which we find no warrant in the New-Testament nor Example in the Primitive Churches nor in Succeeding Ages for some hundred years after Christ Nor is it safe for the Churches which are thereby subjected under an undue Power out of the Church which under a pretence of helping the Church with their Light bereave them of their Power in re propriâ binding them to rest in their Decisions and to practise accordingly As for occasional Councils two extreams must be avoided 1. A total rejecting Councils For when the need of any Church requireth such helps through want of Light or of consent within it self in weighty and difficult questions it is their Liberty and Prudence and Duty voluntarily to seek help from others chosen by that Church being approved for their Orthodoxy and Faithfulness to Christ and to his Cause and Interest And when their Counsel is given it is the Duty of the said Church to try it by the Scripture and if it be found to agree with the Oracles of God to acquiesce in it else not according to that Rule 1 Thes 5.21 2. A preferring the Judgment of a Council when it suits with mens own minds wills and ends above any Light for the contrary though it be held forth from the Word of God so as to rest in what the Council saith without considering whether it be according to the holy Mind and Will of God declared in the Scriptures This is an abuse of Councils which hath sharpned the Pens of Godly Learned men in their Writings against it not only against Popish Councils which bind People to receive their Superstitious Devices and Impositions as matters of Faith but against other Councils which have too peremptorily and absolutely obtruded their own Determinations without Scripture-proof Hence Luther affirmed of the first general Council at Nice which was accounted the best That he understood not that the Holy Ghost speak in it and that the Canons and Articles thereof were but Hay and Straw and Stubble And Beza in his Preface to the New-Testament saith That such was the folly ignorance and ambition of many Bishops in the best times that you would have supposed the Devil to have been President in their Assemblies And long before these Nazianzen complained That he never saw good end of any and resolved never to come at them more yet he lived under the good Emperour Theodosius When Councils seek to please themselves and other men more then to serve Christ their Conclusions will be answerable to their scope Hence the German Interim was agreed upon by sundry Ministers to please the Emperour but other Orthodox Ministers dissented and wrote against it The Synod in England under the Prelacy published Superstitious Ceremonies against which many godly learned Ministers wrote and were silenced who are to this day called The good Old Nonconformists The late Reverend Teacher to re-establish a Church published a Catechism for the Children of it wherein he taught them concerning the Power of Councils that the Question is carried to the Council but the Cause still remaineth in and with the Church This shall suffice for the present to have been spoken to the Care that the Honourable Court is to Exercise about the things of God The next things to be spoken to briefly are the things of men they are righteous Administrations of Justice in matters of this Life These wheels also you are to set going 1. If upon revisal of your Body of Laws any one be found to be unjust and oppressing let it be expunged and altered And for those that are good provide for good execution 2. Let the soveraign Dictates of Nature be constantly attended by you which Christ notes to be the sum of all Moral Duties in the two Tables Quod tibi furi non vis alteri ne faeceris Mat. 7.12 Would you enjoy peace and liberty in Professing and Practising according to the Rules of the Word as you are perswaded let others also that fear God and walk orderly and justly and peaceably with them enjoy the like Peace and Civil Liberties lest other Rulers be encouraged by your Example to measure to us again with what measure we mete unto others they accounting as we do them This is threatned in Mat. 7.2 I shall conclude with a brief reminding you of the first beginning of this Colony of the Massachusets which I have the better advantage and more special engagement to do being one of them by whom the Patent which you enjoy was procured and to whom it was committed by King Charles the first and His Majesties most Honourable Privy Council My Name was not mentioned in the Patent because I desired it might be left out lest the then Bishop of London who was of the Privy Council should have an ill eye upon me for my appearing so far in that work whereunto he was opposit but in expences for any Helps to promove the Work in the first beginnings of it I bore my part meerly for the service of Christ and for the help of his People I not knowing that ever I should remove unto these parts by vertue of that Patent When it was obtained and committed to us we were made a Corporation for New-England and accordingly acted in sundry Meetings and chose Mr Endicot to be the first Governour and sent him hither and for his encouragement we gave him an House at Salem which was built for the use of the Corporation in London and he carried with him two Ministers The next year the Corporation in London understanding that honourable Mr Winthrope inclined to remove himself and Family to New-England chose him to be Governor who came to Boston and with him we sent the Patent to prevent future inconveniencies and God blessed it to that end as it appeared soon afterward In the first General Court after his Arrival the Civil Order was settled in a Select Company of Free Planters such as were accounted most fit to manage publick Trust to Christ's Ends these choose a Governour and Deputy-Governour and a limited number of Assistants invested with Magistratical Power and Deputies from the respective Plantations according to the Patent which gave liberty to order Civil Affairs as they found best Churches also were gathered in a Congregational way and walked therein according to the Rules of the Gospel with much peace and consent among themselves which that now blessed Servant of Christ Mr John Cotton the first Teacher to this Church so approved that he wrote unto me being then in Holland to encourage my coming to New-England that the Order of the Churches and of the Commonwealth was so settled by common Consent that it brought to his mind the New Heaven and New Earth wherein dwells Righteousness advising me to come hither free from Engagements to others But Satan in a short time stir'd up Strifes and Dissentions to the great disturbance of the Churches and of the Countrey which God at last mercifully quieted nor hath the Gospel come unto you empty handed but hath brought unto you in its right hand Spiritual Good Things through Jesus Christ with Eternal Salvation to those that believe in him And in its lest hand Riches and Honour with Protection and Deliverances from Enemies of all sorts Now therefore take heed and beware that the Lord may not have just cause to complain of us as he did of those in Jer. 2.21 Rev. 2.4 lest you lose by Gods punishing Justice what you received from his free Mercy lest he remove the golden Candlesticks and the burning and shining Lights in them as he hath already done many eminent Lights and wo to them from whom the Gospel is removed for their abusing it and the Messengers of it Would you yet see good dayes and enjoy good things as in times past Obey the counsel that the Spirit gave to the Church at Ephesus Rev. 2.5 And to the Angel of the Church in Sardis Rev. 3.2 3. And take the course that Jehoshaphat took and was blessed therein and all Judah with him 2 Chron. 17.3 The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the first wayes of his Father David And see that your fruitfulness in good answereth the cost pains that God hath been at with you in his Vineyard lest the Lord be provoked to deal with us as he did with his ancient Vineyard Isa 5. from the first to the eight verse FINIS